Before the Tale: A Lily Evans Story
by Printed Words
Summary: Will Lily Evans ever make it through a world with a boy like James Potter? Can she make while her best friend is going to the dark side? Please leave a review! Thanks!
1. Chapter 1

**Before the Tale**: Will Lily Evans ever make it through a world with a boy like James Potter?

Note: Lily Info came from the Harry Potter Wikia and I have had to make some time differences for the sake of the story. wiki/Lily_Evans

Kings Cross has always been quite noisy and crowded. I never liked it, but my sister, Petunia, seems to like it. She loves sneaking peaks at the young men while Mum is looking away. It's the only thing Petunia likes about this trip to the train station. She can't seem to come to grips with the fact of me being a witch.

"I always knew you were an ugly, stupid witch," she'd retort."…but not a REAL magical one…" she'd mutter under her breath.

Mum tells me that she is just jealous, and that I should not be swayed by her. But Petunia IS my sister. Even though she has spent the latest few years of both of our lives torturing me, I feel like we could go back to being great friends of she just tried. It's too late now though. I'm off on an adventure that I had barely dreamed of. Humph!

Mum drags Petunia as Dad and I haul my trunk to the platform that was mentioned on one of my acceptance letters. By some magic (because that's what it is) all of my family was let through the portal to Platform 9 and ¾. The feeling of the… the magic as I passed through the portal was the most wonderful experience you could ever feel! Even though the wall was made out of brick, it felt like lying on a bead of satin sheets and feathers! It was soft and cool, but quite a rush. As soon as I got through I found my family coughing and hacking from the portal. Petunia looked up at me in contempt.

"Lily and her freak ways…"

"I'm not a freak. That's a horrible thing to say."

"That's where you're going. A special school for freaks. You and that Snape boy ... weirdos, that's what you two are..."

"You didn't think it was such a freak's school when you wrote to the headmaster and begged him to take you."

"Humph!"


	2. Chapter 2

Before the Tale Chapter 2

I enter the train, leaving my family behind on the platform, Mum softly crying, Dad worrying, and Petunia growling. I walk through the hall of the train. I am scared out of my wits! I have never been away from home, and now it is for a whole year! I am wandering through the train when I hear a shout.

"Hey! Hey you! Lily! Over here!" I turn to see my best wizard friend, Severus Snape, shouting from an empty section. "I'm glad you made it Lily! As you can see," He said as he gestured around, "I'm not quite the most popular boy around here." I look around the cabin and take in every detail. The cabin is small and made mostly of wood paneling. The checkered red seats are worn, but still cushy. I am placing my travel bag up in the overhead compartment when the train whistle blows one last time, calling any latecomers. I settle in for the long, smooth ride.

The ride goes fairly quickly. Severus convinces me to try some wizard candies that we bought from the trolley lady. We talk about our excitement and new wands and stare out the window and watch the landscape rush by. It is all really peaceful until we hear a crash in the hallway.

"Hurry," someone hisses, "Run!" Laughing and more crashing ensues as we see a group of boys dash past our seats. As soon as they pass we hear a slower clomping and a boy jogs, looking ruefully back. He stops when he sees us watching in confusion.

"Oi! H'lo there mates! Wotcha up to?"

"Hello… umm… Who are you and…and why are you running?" I stutter.

"Well, aren't you an inquisitive one? I'm Remus Lupin, at your service, and I was, well, I was trying to keep up with my mates down that way. They seem to have smoke bombed a section, and I'm stuck dealing with the after-effects."

"Well, I-" I get cut off when a one of the boys who was running comes jogging down the hallway.

"Oi! Remus! Come on then!"

"Aye, Potter, one mo' then"

"Well," I continue, staring at the new boy, "I'm Lily Evans and this is Severus Snape. And you are…?" I can tell Severus really doesn't want to talk to these boys, as he is cowering in the corner with a scowl on his face, but I do NOT want to be impolite before school even starts!

"I'm Potter, James Potter, and you, Evans, are a lovely looking dame. Maybe if we meet again… Come along Remus, we must get going." He stares at me while Remus says something I miss. He nods a goodbye and they both rush off through the train. I look a Severus and wonder what he knows about these boys. Seeing him in such distress, I decide to leave him alone and instead bring up Hogwarts and how we should get in our uniforms. We get ready to start our journey, even with Severus holding secrets about those boys.


	3. Chapter 3

Before the Tale Chapter 3

The train shudders to a halt. Severus and I stare out the window at all of the older children rushing by to get to school. It seems most of the first years have stayed behind, scared of what comes before us. I drag Severus down that train and outside where a large man, maybe nine feet tall and about half that wide, is waiting with the gathering first years. "First years, this way!" he yells. "Jus' follow ol' Hagrid, over 'ere!" Severus and I approach, pushing past James and his friends to talk to Hagrid.

"Oi, Evans, how 'bout you and me talk over some pumpkin juice tonight?" The boys burst into an uproar of laughter as Severus steams. He balls his fist, his anger at their catcalls clear. I turn around and start up a conversation with Hagrid. He tells me of his life as the gameskeeper of Hogwarts. He talks about his life at Hogwarts when he was attending as a student, and his life as a half-giant. Severus just stands there with his arms crossed and his brow furrowed, not uttering a word.

Hagrid leads all of the first years to boats on the shore of a large lake. Children pile into the boats, three at a time, one holding up a lantern. The boats move forward with no sign of a motor or paddles, just magic. We look into the darkness seeing nothing but the reflections of our lanterns on the lake. Suddenly, a single tower looms out of the darkness from across the water. Lights slowly shine through hundreds of window that exist only on the castle that slowly appears. The castle must be nearly 50 meters (more than 150 feet) tall in the shortest places, and there is not telling for the tallest towers. Everything is silent, even the awestruck children. It feel like we sat for only a few seconds, but we sailed nearly a mile.

The taps and clicks of our shoes echo through the hall. We are walking through a tall entrance hall made of stone and wood, lined with the trunks of the students. It is only us first years in the hall.

"Children pay attention!" A loud voice rings through the hall. A tall, middle-aged woman stands in the hall." Welcome to Hogwarts. Now, in a few moments you will pass through these doors and join your classmates, but before you take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Now while you're here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points. Any rule breaking, and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup." At she turns towards the doors and waits.

"Severus," I whisper," what is this?"

"The houses are basically who you share a dorm with, as well as all those other things," he replies. "You are put in a house depending on your personality."

"And wha-"

"Shh! We are entering."

Slowly, our procession of first years enters the through the doors to the Grand Hall. The Grand Hall must be twice as tall as the entrance hall with candles floating in the air. There is no ceiling, but instead the night sky. Four long tables filled with children sit in rows with the house flags above each. The other children stare, willing us to move faster so they can eat. At the front of the hall is a long table filled with teachers and a grand golden podium. Before the podium sit a simple brown stool and an old hat.

The proceedings continue with the same lady calling out names, and the children getting sorted into the houses. One of the first ones called is one of James' friends, Sirius. He gets sorted into Gryffindor.

"Lily Evans!"


End file.
